


An Old Love and a New Hope

by WingsofaBird



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:54:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28563885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WingsofaBird/pseuds/WingsofaBird
Summary: Obi-wan receives an unexpected visitor in exile on Tatooine. AU. One-shot.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28





	An Old Love and a New Hope

Obi-wan perused the market stalls, face concealed deep in the shadows of his hood. Though he'd been on Tatooine for nearly six months, he still had not learned the art of growing his own food, so he remained dependent on the labors of others. He was debating between the less expensive hubba gourd and the more flavorful bloddle when another hooded figure stepped into his peripheral vision, standing much too close for comfort. Automatically, he ducked his head, turning it away from the stranger, and turned to leave. But then they spoke.

"It's been far too long."

I know that voice. Cautiously, he turned back to face the stranger, tugging his hood further over his face. Underneath the stranger's rusty red hood, he caught sight of blonde strands of hair, of startlingly blue eyes. His breath caught in his throat. Satine.

"Indeed it has," he managed, heart pounding. More than anything, he ached to take her in his arms, to hold her close and never let go. Then a human male with a heavily scarred face shouldered past him, reminding him exactly where he was. "It's not safe here," he whispered. "Come with me to my home."

"We can take my speeder," she replied, her gentle voice just as he remembered.

The pair set off, both eyeing the crowds around them carefully and maintaining a tense silence despite all they were bursting to say to each other. Just outside the market, they found her speeder. Satine threw a leg over and took the controls, Obi-wan straddling it just behind her.

"You may want to hold on, it kicks a bit at the start," she said over her shoulder.

After a moment's hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing his chest to rest against her back. He was certain she could feel how hard his heart was pounding. She powered the speeder up, and it jerked and shuddered into motion, taking off down the dusty street.

"Which way do I go?" she shouted over the buzzing engine and the wind buffeting their ears.

"Due southwest, towards that rocky area over there," he replied, pointing.

She nodded and gunned the engine, sending them racing along the desert sands. Her hood slipped off in the wind, and stray strands of her hair whipped into Obi-wan's face. It felt almost like a dream to him. He had never once imagined that she of all people would appear on Tatooine, as often as he had admittedly wished she might.

They left the speeder at the foot of the rocks, and Obi-wan led her up the winding path to where his hut stood on a tiny mesa. He opened the door and gestured her inside, shutting and locking it behind them. He removed his hood and cloak as she surveyed his spare home, hanging it on a nail beside the door.

She turned at last to face him as he took a step towards her, and they rushed into each other's arms. He felt her slender fingers spread out across his back, pressing him to her; their heartbeats thudded in tandem.

"When I heard of the Jedi Purge, I thought you were dead," she half-whispered, tears choking her voice.

"I feared the same for you," he replied, burying his face in her shoulder.

He leaned back to look her in the face, his hands on her shoulders. "What are you doing here, Satine? Is everything all right on Mandalore?"

She shook her head, dropping his gaze. "The Empire arrived in full force not long after the Jedi Purge," she said. "I knew we had no hope of defeating them, so rather than ask my people to die in a losing war, I chose to surrender. Peace on Mandalore is conditional on my exile from the system."

"I'm so sorry, Satine," Obi-wan said. "That can't have been an easy decision to make."

She lifted her chin, her ice-blue eyes striking as they locked with his. "All that matters is that my people are safe," she replied. "One day, there will be enough who oppose the Empire that we may free the galaxy from it."

"We can only hope," Obi-wan responded, releasing her and sitting wearily at his table.

Satine seated herself across from him. "We will do more than hope, my dear," she said. "We will bring it about."

"I wish I had your faith," he said, not meeting her eyes.

She scoffed softly. "It is hardly faith, Obi." She reached over and placed her hand over his. He took her fingers in his hand and squeezed them softly. "May I ask why you chose this, of all places, to come?"

He sighed. "It's the last place he would think to look."

"Who? The Emperor?"

"Vader." The name dropped like a stone from Obi-wan's lips, black and heavy and laced with pain.

"And why is that?"

"This is where he grew up. He hated it here."

"How do you know that?" Satine asked.

"Because Darth Vader was once Anakin Skywalker," he said in a voice drawn tight with pain.

"What?" Satine whispered. "I understood that he was killed in the Purge."

Obi-wan shook his head, gaze fixed on the table. "He helped to perpetrate it."

"Obi-wan…" She stood and came to his side of the table, putting her arms around his shoulders and holding him to her. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm just glad you're here," he said, standing and wrapping his arms around her in return. They stood like that for a few moments, Obi-wan gently stroking her hair.

"Obi-wan," she said suddenly, leaning her head back to look him in the face. "I understand why you chose this place to hide, but it truly is a miserable, desolate place, and I know it holds painful memories for you. There are other, equally obscure places in the galaxy that are much more pleasant. We can go elsewhere."

He shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't leave, Satine," he said.

"And why is that?"

"There's a child here, a child I must protect."

"A Force-sensitive child, I assume?"

"Most likely," he replied. "He is Anakin's."

"Anakin's?" she said. "But surely, that is prohibited by the Jedi."

"It certainly is," he said. "If anyone in the Order had found out, he would have been expelled."

She arched an eyebrow at him. "You knew, and yet he wasn't."

He sighed. "Perhaps things would have turned out differently if he had been expelled."

"Perhaps," she replied. "If Anakin was the father, then who…" Her eyes widened. "Padmé." Obi-wan nodded. "I knew there was something between those two."

"They were married just after the Clone Wars began," Obi-wan said. "She gave birth to the twins shortly after the Purge."

"Twins? What became of the other?"

"Bail Organa-do you remember him?"

"Certainly. There were times it seemed as though he and Padmé were the only two sensible members of that entire senate."

"He took Leia to Alderaan to raise as his own."

"And the boy here on Tatooine? Why are you not raising him?"

"He has family here, an aunt and an uncle. I have given him over to their care."

"I see," she replied, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "I understand why you must stay, Obi-wan."

"You are free to leave if the planet is not to your liking," he said, though the words seemed to catch in his throat.

She scoffed. "My dear Obi-wan, when have I ever retreated from a challenge? I won't desert you simply because this planet is a wasteland."

"I must admit, it's a relief to hear you say that."

She touched his face gently. "I couldn't leave you to face years of exile alone."

He took her hand, smiling softly. A feeling welled up in his chest, a feeling he had dedicated his life to controlling and suppressing. But now, there was no reason not to give it words. "I...love you, Satine." The words felt strange spoken out loud, but he knew he'd never said anything he meant more.

She smiled, tears welling up in her eyes. "I love you too, Obi-wan."

Hesitantly, breath catching in his throat, he brought his face nearer hers, uncertainty stopping him just short. Then she brought her mouth to his, her fingers spreading through his hair as she kissed him. Obi-wan's eyelids fluttered shut as he leaned into the kiss, his hands cupping her cheeks. Her smile broke the kiss, and they stood for a moment, foreheads together, both just a little breathless.

"That was your first kiss, wasn't it?" she asked, a gentle mocking in her tone.

"Was it bad?" Obi-wan drew his head back to look at her, sudden terror striking his heart.

She laughed. "No," she replied. "Quite the contrary, in fact."

The two were married a few months later in a quiet ceremony attended only by the officiator, whose credentials were somewhat in doubt, not that it mattered much to either of them. It was much, Obi-wan thought, like he imagined Anakin and Padmé's wedding had been. Secretive though it was, it was the happiest day of Obi-wan's life. He couldn't help wondering what might have happened if he had left the Jedi Order all those years ago to be with Satine. Perhaps he would have been a happier man. But there was no use wondering about such things. He and Satine had found each other at last, and that was all that mattered.

She took up weaving to help pass the time, selling the rugs and blankets she made at the market, and Obi-wan often meditated while she wove. They maintained a small garden with the help of water from Owen and Beru that provided most of their food. Satine bought a radio and they jury-rigged the antenna to take in signals from surrounding systems in order to keep abreast of the goings-on in the galaxy. She took a great interest in the information, hoping to catch glimpses of weaknesses to use against the Empire when it came time to overthrow it. A great deal of it was Empire propaganda, but it was possible to pick out the truth amidst the lies. Obi-wan tried to take an interest in keeping up with the Empire's spread, but Satine knew it was hard on him to hear about it, particularly whenever Vader was mentioned. Obi-wan enjoyed teaching children, and sometimes adults, how to read and write, though it was often unpaid. It helped him regain some of the sense of purpose he'd lost at the end of the Clone Wars.

One morning, they were awakened by the sound of fighting outside, scuffles and thuds punctuated by bellows from sand people. Obi-wan tore off the blanket and vaulted out of bed, throwing his under-tunic on and summoning his lightsaber from the corner of the room. Satine followed him outside, smoothing her hair back into a knot at the nape of her neck. As they rounded an outcropping of rock, they found a group of Tusken Raiders beating an unconscious man. Obi-wan stretched out his hands and threw them back with the Force. Baying in surprise and confusion, they scattered.

Satine knelt by the man. "Obi-wan, it's Owen!" she said as she peered into his face. Then her eyes widened as a baby began to wail. "And he has Luke with him."

Obi-wan joined her at Owen's side. "Is Luke hurt?"

Gently, she lifted the baby from Owen's arms. "No, he's only shaken up." She stood, rocking Luke gently to calm him while Obi-wan rolled Owen onto his back.

"Is he going to be all right?" Satine asked.

"He's taken several hard blows to the head," Obi-wan replied. "Not to mention he's likely got several broken ribs. If he does fully recover, it'll be quite some time."

"I'll watch Luke," she said. "You take the speeder and get Owen to Beru."

Obi-wan nodded, and bent to pick Owen up, hoisting his limp form over his shoulder. The all-too-familiar bellows of the sand people started up again, echoing through the hills, and Obi-wan turned to Satine. "Make sure you stay inside."

"I know, Obi. Don't worry about us, we'll be fine."

"You know I can't help but worry," he replied.

"Believe me, I know," she said with the glimmer of a smile. "Go. We'll be here when you return."

Obi-wan turned to trek down the rocky path to where the speeder awaited him. He slung Owen's body over the seat, then slung his leg over to sit just behind him. With one hand steadying Owen and the other on the handlebar, he gunned the engine and took off across the desert. Satine returned to the hut, still gently bouncing Luke, who was still crying at the top of his lungs. She sat on the bed and held the child close, humming softly an old Mandalorian lullaby.

At last, Luke settled into sleep, his chubby cheek squished against her shoulder and his long lashes brushing his cheeks. The last time she'd held a child like this had been nearly fifteen years ago after Korkie was born. How she missed that boy. But he had stayed on Mandalore, as had Bo-Katan, choosing to do what they could do to defend their people there. Luke looked not unlike Korkie had as a baby, both with wispy, blonde hair and big, blue eyes. Gently, she caressed Luke's round cheek with her thumb, marvelling at the tiny human life she held in her arms.

He squirmed a little in his sleep, a tiny burble escaping him. A movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention, and she glanced over to see a tiny packet of bloddle seeds they had purchased the day before suspended in mid-air. She looked at the baby, then back to the seed packet. She reached over and plucked it out of the air, setting it back down on the table. Within moments, it wobbled into the air again as another burble escaped Luke. So he is Force sensitive, she thought, a small smile touching her lips. I shall have to tell Obi when he comes home.

But it wasn't until mid-afternoon that her husband returned from the Lars', dusty, weary, and sun-burned. He came straight to Satine, who sat feeding the baby at the kitchen table. He pressed a kiss to her lips and turned his attention to the baby.

"How is Owen?"

Obi-wan sighed, one hand smoothing his beard. "Not well. It took the nearest doctor half the morning to come, and by the time he did, Owen had started coughing and was pale as death. After a brief examination, the doctor told us he had a concussion and five broken ribs, two of which had punctured his lungs." He rubbed his forehead. "He said the brain damage caused by the incident will likely affect Owen for the rest of his life. We won't know how until Owen wakes up."

"How is Beru taking it?"

"She's a resilient woman," Obi-wan replied. "This certainly won't be easy, but she has no intention of giving up on the farm or on Owen."

"Is there anything we can do to help them?"

"Beru asked us to continue looking after Luke for the time being. She sent some bantha milk in bottles and diapers over with me." He glanced up at Satine, suddenly concerned. "Do you mind if we look after him?"

"Of course not," she replied. "He's a dear little thing." Obi-wan pulled up a chair and sat next to Satine, reaching over to brush his fingers against Luke's cheek. A tiny fist thrusted out and seized Obi-wan's finger, and he and Satine chuckled. "He's Force-sensitive."

Obi-wan looked up at his wife, eyes wide and brow furrowed. "How do you know?"

"Earlier this morning, he was making that little packet of seeds on the table over there float."

Obi-wan nodded thoughtfully, then his face clouded. "Under normal circumstances, I would be taking him to the Jedi Temple to begin training."

Satine squeezed his hand. "Why don't you train him?"

Obi-wan shook his head. "It's too dangerous. If word gets out of a young Force user on Tatooine, the Empire won't hesitate to come kill him. It's safer if Luke lives as a normal boy, at least until he's old enough to understand why he must keep his powers a secret."

"And if he continues to unintentionally manifest his abilities?"

"I don't know," he replied wearily. "We can only hope this goes away with age."

When Owen finally woke nearly a week after the attack, he had almost entirely lost the ability to speak, and his fine motor skills were significantly impaired, leaving him unable to work on the farm. Beru carried on, working the farm almost entirely on her own, but the strain of trying to keep the farm going and raising Luke proved too much, and Luke passed into the hands of Satine and Obi-wan on a more permanent basis.

Indeed, the more Luke grew, the more of a handful he became. He was insatiably curious, not to mention totally fearless. He often attempted to escape the small hut to explore the surrounding rocks, nearly running afoul of the sand people more than once. Satine and Obi-wan loved him as their own son, though they never claimed to be Luke's true parents. When Luke was old enough to wonder about his parents, Obi-wan told him the truth: that his parents had been staunch defenders of liberty and democracy who had died near the end of the Clone Wars. He hoped and prayed that the boy would never learn the truth about his father, but something told him that day would come. Something told him that Luke would be called upon to serve a role in the galaxy far beyond that of a simple farm boy on Tatooine. But for now, their little family was enough. The Duchess, the Jedi, and the child.


End file.
